Deer Creek or Husband's or Old Forge Covered Bridge

COUNTY

WORLD GUIDE #

CROSSES

TRUSS

SPANS

LENGTH

BUILT

GONE

Harford

MD-12-20x

Deer Creek

Unk

Unk

Unk

Unk

January 1933

The longest covered bridge in Harford County to cross Deer Creek was known as Deer Creek Bridge or Husband's Bridge. The bridge was also referred to as "Old Forge" Bridge, but should not be confused with Old Forge Bridge in Baltimore County (MD-03-07x). An article in the Belair Times, likely from the early 1930s, mentions Deer Creek Covered Bridge:

The longest one of all (in Harford County), however, is still standing, and is that which crosses Deer Creek on the old road from Kalmia to Dublin, about 700 yards above the stone bridge. The bridge is still a part of the old highway and has to be maintained by the County Commissioners.

In his book Historical Sketches of Harford County, Samuel Mason's declares the bridge was lost in January 1933.

Deer Creek / Husband's / Old Forge Bridge from Historical Sketches of Harford County by Samuel Mason. Photo about early 1930s. Notice the old vehicle parked at the rear right of the bridge

Remaining abutment from Old Forge Bridge, taken from north bank. Photo by Jack Shagena, November 9, 2009.

View of remaining abutments from Old Forge Bridge. Photo by Jack Shagena, November 9, 2009.

Forge Hill Road was rerouted around the turn of the century and an iron bridge was constructed across Deer Creek as part of the new road. The concrete bridge that replaced the iron bridge and now crosses Deer Creek on Forge Hill Road was built in the 1930s and refurbished in 1991. The covered bridge crossed Deer Creek down from the end of what is now Old Forge Road, to the opposite side of the creek where the old Husband's Flint Mill was located. Christopher Weeks, in his book An Architectural History of Harford County, mentions there used to be a covered bridge crossing Deer Creek near Kalmia and Joshua Husband's Flint Mill. "It (the mill) was a good location for such an operation: Deer Creek provided water and power and the main road to Bel Air ran through the site, crossing Deer Creek by means of a covered bridge."